“What is life without jam?” That was just one of the many sound bites from James Elroy Flecker. We are standing in front of the James Elroy Flecker Blue plaque. It commemorates the London-born poet, novelist, and playwright.
James Elroy Flecker was born Herman Elroy Flecker on 5 November 1884 in Lewisham. He later chose to use the first name James. The plaque stands outside the house where Flecker was born at 9 Gilmore Road in Lee. It was erected in 1986.
Flecker’s family lived in Lewisham for only a short time. By 1888, they had moved to Cheltenham. His father, William Herman Flecker, was a curate at Holy Trinity on Glenton Road. James was baptised there. The church was lost in World War Two.
Flecker’s early education was at his father’s school. He later attended Uppingham and Trinity College, Oxford. While at Oxford, he became friends with classicist John Beazley.
In 1910, Flecker joined the British consular service. He served in Constantinople now Istanbul, Smyrna now Izmir, and Beirut. On a ship to Athens, he met Helle Skiadaressi. They married in 1911.
Flecker contracted tuberculosis in 1910. He resigned from the consular service in 1913. He spent his last two years in Swiss sanatoriums. Flecker died in Davos, Switzerland, on 3 January 1915. He was only 30 years old. His death was considered a great loss to English literature.
Flecker began writing poetry while at Uppingham. His first book of poems, “The Bridge of Fire,” was published in 1907. His time in the Mediterranean and Middle East inspired his later work. “The Golden Journey to Samarkand” was published in 1913. Flecker also wrote plays. “Hassan” was published posthumously in 1922 and “Don Juan” in 1925.
Flecker’s poetry is often associated with the Georgian school of poetry. But some critics see him as a survivor of the French Parnassian tradition. He aimed to create beauty in his poetry. Flecker once said, “The poet’s business is not to save the soul of man but to make it worth saving.”
Helle Flecker, his widow, edited his letters. She was awarded a government pension for her husband’s services to poetry. She survived him by more than 45 years.
Flecker’s work has had a lasting impact. His poem “The Golden Journey to Samarkand” is widely quoted. Excerpts from “Hassan” appear on memorials. These include the Special Air Service Memorial in Herefordshire. His words continue to inspire. They remind us of the beauty and worth of life.
James Elroy Flecker’s legacy lives on through his poems and plays. This blue plaque marks the birthplace of a gifted writer. He left a unique mark on English literature.